Suction cleaner



Nov. 6, 1945. J. H. NUFFER ET AL. I 2,388,280 sUGTION CLEANER Filed sept. 27, 1945 Patented Novr, 1945 l .Y v

` assazso t sUo'rr'oN CLEANER .A Joseph H.'"Nufler,j,':loledo, Ohio, and Lynn H.v A Latta, Deerfield,v lll., assignorsto AirWay` Electric Appliance Corporation,Y Toledo, Ohio,

1 Claim.

` I'his invention relates to suctioncleaners of the' type in which the filtering andsuction units'are both enclosed within a rigidhousing to which adust-laden` air stream is lead through `a flexible suctionhose from acleaning tool. oneotthe objects of the invention is to provide `asuction cleaner of this type wherein the iiltering' unit has sa corporation of Delaware y Application' september' 27, 1943, serial No. 503,91? "1 e (cris-in v 4 vacuum inaddition the"charac` ,f

teristics set forth above, has provision for a. blowl er connection direct to the suction unit when the cover.is closed, and also providesjan improved` the advantage of being :arranged vertically` or,

` substantially vertically and the hoseis` connectedto the housing in such a posi-tion as to attain maximum elciency in the conveyance of a dustladen air stream into the filtering and collecting unit, and yet thecenter of gravity of the entire body of ,the-cleaner is suillciently` low and the `weight is suiiicientlyv distributed horizontally so l that the cleaner body may be dragged about by the suction hose without being tipped over by the pull of the hose. 1 1 l `Another object of the invention is to provide 'such a cleaner wherein the suction unit is coupled closely to the filtering .and dust collecting Vunit so as to obtain maximumefliciency in the appli-t, cation ofsuction tothe illtering unit. `A further object is to provide an arrangement wherein the spacel within astreamlined housing,such as, for.

example, of tear drop shape, `is utilized so as to obtain maximum compactness.- Another ob,

`lect is to provide aoleaner ofthe type indicated wherein both the liltering and suction unitscan be quickly and easily exposed for servicing, and

` wherein a sealed connection between the suction l hose and filtering unit may be easily and readily established.

Toward the attainmentv of the-foregoing obl jects, the invention contemplates anarrangement wherein l 'the filtering and suction units `are mounted side by side upon a base and enclosed between the base and a dome shaped cover member which is adapted to be moved `to a position whereinthe suction and filtering units are completely or almost compietelyexposed above the base. In one form of the invention the cover is incorporating the invention;

,l Fig. 41s a sectional viewer s modified form of* valve mechanism ifor cutting Aont Vthe, normali` discharge` and concentrating` the discharge at the blower connection.

These and other objects `foi', .the invention-,will` become apparent fromaperusal of the following"` `specifications Vtaken in 'connection with Vaccompanying drawing,vin which:

Fig. `1 is a side elevationfof` asuctioncleaner Fig. 2 ,isa longitudinal sectional thesan'ie;E Y 1lig.,3A is a transverse sectional view through the same taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and` t the invention. Assn exampleof one forniin which thein'ven-` tion maybe embodiedwe have shown in the drawing the body Portion of a` suction cleaner embodying a suction unitflll and filtering unit i2 Vmounted side by side upon `a base "Il, A cover `It cooperates with the base i4 to form a housing deninga chamber `Il in `whichthe suction and ltering units I0 and l2 are enclosed. The cover l I 6 is hingedlto the base It by meansof a hinge I8. vThe' base il has anlupwardly offset `poi-tion 22` and `a-raised portion 2l extending 'rearwardly` f from the odset portion 22, `the hinge It` being formedV at the rear end o! the raised portion 24.

. Thecover is held inuits closed position by latches Il, one on either side thereof, and has at its lower.:

rear extremity atailportionlt extending below the hinge I8 and adapted, when the cover is raised; to an upstanding position, to `engage theunder, side ofthe raised portion 24 of thebasesoasto l support the cover-in such upstanding position. `f

provided with means forestablishing a sealed connection betweenthe suction hose and the i11- tering unit as an incident to the closing of the cover. In a modification of the invention, a separate cover is providedlfor this purpose.

The invention is particularly characterized by the arrangement of the suction unit on an lnclined axis, with the inlet end ofthe suction unit extending in to the corner between the base and the upright filtering units, andwith the fan portion of the suction unitdisposed at the upper end thereof, adjacent to the wall of the cover.

Another object of the invention is to provides.

When the cover is thusraised to anupstanding position, the suction unit Il and ltering unit I2 will be substantially completely exposed above Athe base I 4 for servicing operations, auch as for example, removal and replacement ofthe carbon brushes Jl. of the suction lunit, Il, or removal` ot the screws 32 by means of which the suction unit It is attached to supporting brackets ll and Il.

g'I'he` filtering unit i2` includes a receptacle,

la'iieri'orated liner 3l encirclingyand supporting the lateral wall of the Areceptacle 2l, and ontubu-` `lar easing 3s encircling `andfspaced from` the liner 38.- At the` upperendofthe casingiltfis an annular channel l0, in which `is mounted la ring 42 of compressible material `such as, for example, soft rubber, andthe receptacle 20,

view Ithrough Y which islpreferably of porous paper so that it may be disposed of when illled,is provided at its upper end with a non-porous flange 44 resting upon the packing ring 42. The cover I6 is formed. with an annular clamping ange 46 adapted to clamp the flange 44 against the packing ring 42, and with a delivery nozzle 48 re-.

ceivable in a central opening 50 in a non-porous top member 52 which is secured to the receptacle 20. 'I'he top member 52 may be connectedintegrallywith the flangel 44 by an offset portion 54 by means of which the top member is stitched Vto the receptacle 20. The nozzle 48 carries a sealing ringv 56 of compressible material such as soft rubber, which is adapted to'seal the nozzle to the top 52. The parts areso arranged that this arrangement lies in the fact that it provides for maximum'closeness of coupling between the inlet 16 Yof the suction unit and the open lower end of the filter casing 38, thus increasing the suction efiiciency of the cleaner. A further advantage of the arrangement arises from the disposition of the fan housing 84 at such an angle the sealing of the nozzle 48 to the top 52 and the y connected tothe nozzleV 48 by a short duct 60.

A cleaning tool r(not shown) is adapted tobe con- 68 for connection to theinlet 58.' The connector 68 may if ,desired incorporate a swivel to permit Y swiveling of the tube 66 relative to the body of the cleaner. Suitable means, such as a latch 69, may be employed for connecting the hose to the inlet 56 in such a manner as to form a draft connection by means of which the cleaner body may be pulled around at the end of thetube 66.

The casing 38 ofthe filtering unit I2 is mounted at its lower end on an annular iiange 18formedintegrallywith the base I4 and constituting one end of a duct 12 adapted to apply suction to theY lowerfend of the'casing 38, which is open and in communicationwith an annular port defined by the flange 18. Suitable attaching elements, such as screwsv 62, extending upwardly through the base I4 andI flange 10 and threaded into'anl inturned ange 64 on the lower end of the casing 38, may be employed for securing the casing 38 to the flange 10. y

The other end of the duct12 is extended diag-V onally upwardly and rearwardly as at 18 and terminates in an annular end surface lying in plane inclined upwardly and forwardly.

The suction unit I0 includes an electric motor havingy a casing 18 to one end of which is attached the fan casing 84. motor casing 181s attached to the upper end surface 144 of the duct portion 13 as by means of screws 82 extending through thek base I4 and threaded into theV casing 18. A gasket 83 of vibration absorbingmaterial Vis preferably interposed between the casing 18 and the d uct portion 13. Casing 181has an inlet port 16 communicating with the duct portion 13. Encircling and secured to the casi-ng 18 is anv annular vibration absorbing mounting 80 which is attached to the brackets 34 and 35`by the screws 82 as previously stated, and which thus forms the means for mounting the suction unit upon the base I4, the bracket 34 being ysecured di rectly to the base I4 and the bracket 35 being secured to one side of he illter unit casing 88.

The suction unit I0 is arranged on an axis which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the duct portion 1.3. An important advantage of The other end of thel nected to the lteringvunit I2 by a flexible suctiony V tube V66 having on one end a suitable'connector as to make available for ita space of maximum extent in the plane of its radii. vThis becomes important where it is desired to increase the suction of the unit by increasing the diameter of the "fan casing. It also provides necessary space'for accmmodating a shroud of the type disclosed in the companion application, Serial No. 503,918, being filed simultaneously herewith, in the name of J.. H. Nutfer and L'H. Latta. A further advantage is the positioning of the end of the fan housing adjacent and substantially parallel to the inclined rear wall of the cover I6 so as to provide for the 'novel and improved blower outlet arrangement which will now be described.

The upper end wall 85 of the fan casing 84 is provided with an annularly arranged series of 'discharge openings 86. Adjacent the inner side of the wall 85-is a valve Vdisc 81 which has a corresponding annular series of openings 88 adapted tol normally registerwith-the openings 86, but which may be rotated to av closed position wherein the openings 86 are closed by the portions of the valve disc 81 between lthe openings 88. In this closed position, the valve disc 81 will be sealedagainst theinner surface of the wall 85 by the pressure of the air being discharged from the fan.

The.' disc 81 is attached to the lower'end of an outlet tube 89 which extends outwardly through an opening 90 in the cover I6 and is freely rotatable therein. The outlet tube `89 is adapted to receive connector 68 of the suction tube 66 as indicated in dottedjlines in Fig. l, and the'connector 68 may, if desired, be formed with some conventional means for locating it in only one position in the tube 89 so that the latch 69 may, inconnection with suitable indicating marks on the exterior surface of the cover I6, indicatevthe I proper open and closed positions of the valve.

With the' valve closed, the discharge is. delivered through the tube 89, whereas normally the maior portion of the discharge will be delivered through the openings 86 and 88. By providing a cap to normally close the tube 88, all of the normal discharge may be delivered through the openings f 86 and`88. Y

The noisevof the normal air discharge may be muilied by arfabric hood 82 enclosing theend of the fan casing 84. -By using the hoodl 92 and a cap for the .end of the tube 88, relatively noiseless operation may be'attained.l The airis discharged noiselessly from the chamber I1 through louvers 98 in the side Walls' of the vcover I6; providing large discharge area. e u V 1 A I The latches 26 cooperate with lugs on the base I4 and are so located as to exert against the cover IG ai downward pull which Vis centered in the transverse plane of the verticalaxis of the filtering unit I2, and which is eifective to seal the ange 44 tightly against the packing ring 42 throughout the circumference .of the latter. The engagement of the flange 46 against the resiliently supported ange 44 will normally suffice to provide a vibration clamping support of the cover I6, but in some instances it may be desirable to employ cushioning buttons 9| on the base I4, engagea by lugs 93 on the cover I6.

VA Window 99 may be provided in the duct 60, in

g 1,388,280 order that the'o'perator may view the dust stream owing through the duct 60.

In the modiiied form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 a separate cover sectionJS-a is provided 'for the filtering unit I2the cover IB--a` being hinged at 96 to the cover section |6-b,.

which is cut away to receive the section I6a. The outlet 58, duct 80, nozzle 48 and ange 4 5 are formed in the cover section l6a. A latch il, pivoted to the section IB-b, `engages the section IG-a to latch the latter inyclosed position.

The section iS--b may, in this form of the in` vention, be detachably secured to the base Il by` any suitable means such as screws, and Il and latches 26 eliminated. i

We claim as our invention:

In a suction cleaner, a base having a duct formed at one end with an upwardly opening inthe hinge suction unit having an inlet end attached to said outlet portion of the duct, said suctioniunit extending upwardly. at `an acute angle to the base, said `filtering `unit including a perforated liner within said imperiorate casing and spaced therefrom and a porous dust collecting receptacle within said perforated liner, anda cover cooperating with said base to form a housing enclosing said suction and filtering units and t adapted to be moved to a position wherein said `units are exposed for servicing operations. said n cover being formed with a nozzle adapted, when l t the cover is closed, to establish communication with said receptacle, andv with lmeans adapted `to cooperate with said receptacle to clamp the same in supported relation in said imperiorate casing, and an inlet communicating with said nozz1e,to

" which a ilexible tube may be 'attachedior pulling let and atits other end with an upwardly im clined outlet, a ltering unit including animperforate outer casing mounted upon the inlet portion of the duct and extending upwardly, a

the `cleaner about upon a surface being cleaned. t L

JOSEPH H. LYNN H. LATTA. n 

